Burying the Embers
by RAWG98
Summary: With Silus dead and Steven gone, Wesley continues his quest to finish off Team Blaze. Joining him are Morgana, an emotionally damaged Gardevoir, Logan, an expert assassin, and Lilly, a shy but faithful Lucario. Wesley may have some new tricks up his sleeve, but Team Blaze has a more sinister agenda than any of them could have ever imagined. Time is running out. For everyone.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

New Hero, New Mission

I sat up sharply in my bed when I heard the sound of my alarm go off. I looked around the in the murky darkness of my underground room and sighed, depressed that I would soon be leaving this place behind. I got up and quickly got dressed.

I remembered the previous day well; the battle on Team Blaze's carrier, two of my friends dying by the hands of a madman and his enslaved pokemon, and myself nearly facing death. I looked at my left arm, badly burned by an Entei-human hybrid I had defeated. The skin was melted, almost to the point where it looked like muscle, but it didn't hurt, for I was able to take the heat out of the burn quickly enough.

I walked out into the main chamber of my sewer lair. I had discovered this place quite some time ago, and it had become almost like a home for me. About a week ago, I stumbled across an old man and a young woman wandering around, and found out they had escaped the destruction of their village by the hands of Team Blaze. I approached them, asking if they wanted to help me fight, and they were more than happy to join.

That was a week ago. Now, both of them are dead, and this place feels… empty. I walked over to a table and stared at the new armor I had created. My old suit had been badly damaged in the battle, and I wasn't able to recover it before the carrier was destroyed. My new suit was a black leather jumpsuit with white highlights. On the right arm, I had placed a PDA with all kinds of miscellaneous applications I might need, like a GPS or a phone. I had put extra padding on the elbows, knees, and shoulders, so I could roll, climb, jump and land with little injury. I reached out and looked at the mask; a completely white ski mask with eyes ringed in black. I had taken a heads-up display and put it in as lenses, mostly just for looks, but it also helps to have the information you need right there. I put on the body of the suit and looked in a mirror. I didn't look at the suit, though; I instead studied my face.  
I had dark brown eyes that had a permanent intensity to them, so my neutral expression made me look sort of angry. My hair was the same shade of brown as my eyes, and came down to my shoulders, except in the font, which waved around in wisps that often covered my eyes. I had a bit of facial hair, as I had not shaved in quite some time, which was greatly contrasted by my pale face.

I had been through so much in the past year. My parents had disappeared without a trace, so I was sent to a boarding school. I ran away after a while because the teachers and students were all cruel, and I learned during my escape that it was a recruitment school for Team Blaze, and that they were responsible for my parent's death. So I ran, and ended up here.

I slipped on my mask and looked back at the table to see a lone poke ball near the edge. I looked at it sadly. It had belonged to Gwen, the young woman who used to stay here, and had been given to me just before she died. In it was Morgana, a Gardevoir who had almost killed herself when Gwen died, and if it hadn't been for me recalling her at the last moment, she would have.

I grabbed it quickly, about to hit the release button to send her out, and stopped. _What if she tries again?_ I thought, horrified. I had promised I would take care of her, and didn't want to risk her any harm. But, I knew that she wouldn't get any better just sitting in that thing. So, I hit the button, tossed the ball in the air, and waited.

After a bright flash of red, there was a pokemon standing before me, with the appearance of a young girl with green hair and a long, white dress. Her head was bowed, and her eyes were closed. I took a slow step towards her.  
"Morgana?" I asked slowly. The moment I said her name, her eyes snapped open, and I knew something was wrong. Her eyes were completely white, showing no emotion. I took a step back, but before I could retain my footing, I was slammed into a wall behind me by an unseen force. I screamed in pain as my back hit the wall with a loud thud. I looked up through squinted eyes to see Morgana hovering above the ground, one arm outstretched. Her head was tilted in a curious manner, but her face was expressionless.

I strained to speak under the pressure. "Morgana! It's me, Wesley! Don't you remember who I am?"  
She narrowed her white eyes, and I felt the pressure getting stronger. I knew I had to think of something fast, or I would be crushed against the wall of a sewer. Not exactly the end I was going for.

I glanced over at the table and saw my specially designed crossbow sitting there, pre-loaded with tranquilizer bolts. _Yeah, that'll work,_ I thought as I raised my arm painfully. I could have sworn I heard the bone of my forearm breaking against the force as I slowly held out my hand and folded my fingers to activate the "return" function on my suit. The moment I did, the crossbow flew neatly into my hand, and I wasted no time in pulling the trigger.

I fell heavily to the floor, panting heavily. I looked up and saw Morgana looking at her shoulder. There was a 6-inch bolt with a syringe mounted on it. She looked at it, then at me as her eyes became clearer. I saw an expression of worry and panic suddenly cross her face.  
_Wesley?_ Her voice filled my head in disbelief. Then her eyes rolled back as she fell to the floor. I quickly rushed over and dove to catch her, thankful my suit kept me from scraping on the hard floor. I groaned as I stood up, still weak from the attack. I was surprised that I had been able to catch her, but then again, an adrenaline rush can make a person do crazy things.

About a half hour later, I had laid her down in a bed in a recently vacated room. It had belonged to Steven, a boy who had joined us a few days ago, and left just the day before shortly after Team Blaze's defeat. With him, he took Vix, a Delphox who had been captured by Team Blaze while she was traveling with Steven. It was thanks to them I was finally able to realize that I needed to keep fighting Team Blaze, not just for myself, but for everyone. If I didn't, who would? I kept this thought in my mind as I slowly walked to my room to rest. I lazily took off my armor and threw it to the floor, and collapsed as if my white t-shirt and shorts were unbearably heavy.

When I woke up, I was in the middle of a clearing somewhere in the woods. I looked around quickly, but could find no sign as to how I got there. I stood up slowly and looked up. It was nighttime, but there were no stars out. I narrowed my eyes and studied the sky, searching desperately for those little points of light, when I heard footsteps behind me. I snapped around, arms raised to defend myself, and saw a beautiful girl walking out of the trees. She was smiling gently, and something about her told me she meant no harm.  
"Calm yourself, Wesley; I do not have much time. Great peril lies ahead, and you must be warned, for the sake of all."  
I listened intently as she spoke: "Evil forces have learned of you exploits, and are guessing your intentions. They are preparing their final plan to achieve power once and for all, and only you and those who join you have any chance of stopping them."  
I raised an eyebrow. "Those who join me? What does that mean?"  
She closed her eyes, deep in thought. "You will meet a boy, about your age, who has followed a dark path for a long time, and desperately seeks redemption. With him will be a shy Lucario, who will stand out amongst others you may have seen." She looked up at me again. "The odds are greatly stacked against you, but if you use the gifts you have, and the gifts you will receive." Saying this, she held out her hand. Floating above her palm was a floating golden orb. "This will help an analytical mind like yours in the challenges ahead."  
I reached out hesitantly, and as I took it, everything around us slowly faded to white, until we were surrounded by endless nothingness. She looked at me, and I saw a joyful gleam in her eyes.  
"Good luck. I hope you do not fail on your quest." She said as she turned around and walked away, slowly fading into the nothingness that surrounded us.  
"Wait! What am I supposed to do? What do I need to stop?" I called after her desperately. I ran in the direction she went in for a few yards, but there was no sign of her. I sighed and stared ahead helplessly.

Suddenly, I heard a growling behind me. I turned around and saw that the endless white had a boundary where it immediately changed to an expanse of blackness. In the darkness, I could see several sets of eyes, varying in size, shape, color and expression, but they all showed negative emotions, mostly fear and anger. I scanned them all quickly, trying to make out what they were, when one pair in particular caught my attention. This one did not appear to belong to a pokemon. In fact, it looked almost… _human._ The only thing off was that they were glowing crimson with black, void-like pupils. These eyes moved closer to me, right to the edge of the void so I still couldn't see their owner, and I heard a strange voice. It sounded cold and teasing, like a predator taunting its prey. It spoke softly, but in the complete silence of the expanse around us, it may as well have been amplified.  
"Run."

I shot up in my bed suddenly, soaked in sweat. I looked around to confirm I was back in my room. I got up quickly and ran out into the main chamber, looking for something to calm myself down. I saw my crossbow sitting on a table, just waiting for a modification. I ran over to it and sat down, and I felt a strange sensation, like everything, including myself, was moving in slow motion. I looked at the parts in front of me and saw them in a new light; it was as if just seeing them allowed me to discover what they were designed for. I looked over a device I had been looking over for quite some time, and now realized it was a thermal scanner.  
_I could use that as a sight,_ I thought excitedly as time went back to its normal speed and I began to work on my addition.

When it was finished, I looked through it at the room around me. Everything was green, but it was filled with a red orange blob when I placed my hand in front of it. _Perfect._ I thought, smiling. Just then, I heard a rustling coming from the other room. I turned and saw Morgana slowly walking out, looking embarrassed.

"Oh hey, you're awake." I said, smiling. I wanted to keep the mood light, so I didn't bring up her almost killing me.  
She looked up at me, her eyes sad. _You need to destroy my ball, Wes._ Her sad voice said in my mind. _If I stay here, I'll only end up hurting you. I'm not stable after what happened the other day._ She crouched down and bowed her head sadly, as if she were hiding tears. I got up and quickly ran over to her.  
"Hey, it's ok," I said reassuringly, "I know it sucks when you lose someone close to you. You get over it after a while, but you always remember the difference they made on your life. I promised I would take care of you; I'm not going to let you run away and make me break that promise."  
She looked up at me. _But I almost killed you earlier!_ She shouted, _If you hadn't have shot me, you wouldn't be having this conversation with me!_  
I looked straight ahead. "But we are. That means I'm doing _something_ right." She looked over at me, curiosity in her eyes.  
_Why? You could have run away rather than take the chance of me exploding like that again._  
"Like I said, I promised Gwen I would keep you safe. And…" I stood up slowly and looked down at her, "I need a little help. I'm going to go out and finish off Team Blaze. I may have killed their leader, but there will be others who will try and take his place. When they do, everything we did yesterday will mean nothing." I held out my hand. "Will you join me and not only stop Team Blaze, but also avenge all of our lost friends?" she looked up at me, her sadness replaced by determination.  
_You bet I will._ She said as she shook my hand. I smiled. "Alright, I need to gather some things, and then we'll be ready to go." I turned and walked back to my room, my expression suddenly changing from happiness to distress. _What did the woman in my dream mean? And what were all those eyes?_ I thought. These were questions I desperately wanted to know the answer to, but something deep down told me I wouldn't like what they were.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Allies (POV: Logan)

"Lilly! We have to keep moving!" I shouted as I skidded to a halt near a tree. I looked back and saw my mate, a red-and-black-furred Lucario, running up to me as a group of Team Blaze grunts chased not too far behind. I grabbed a handful of rocks and threw it at her pursuers, giving her a few extra seconds to catch up. They had obviously grown tired of running, because they had each pulled out a pokeball and had thrown it down, unleashing a group of evil-looking pokemon. I saw an Emboar, a Magmortar, a Typhlosion, and a Darmantian, now joining the already overwhelming ranks. They quickly surrounded us and began to press closer.

"Alright, pal, just hand over the Lucario and we'll let you go scot-free." One of the grunts said with false gentleness. I looked at him with a look of fake relief.  
"Alright, take her." I said lightly. He looked at me, confused.  
"R-really?" he stammered. I smiled, then pulled a throwing knife from my belt.  
"No." I said quickly as I threw the knife down at his leg. There was a loud crunch as the blade shattered his kneecap. He dropped to the ground instantaneously, howling in pain and clutching his bleeding leg.  
"KILL HIM!" He commanded between cries. They advanced faster now, but I was ready. I ran for the Emboar first, dodging its punches expertly and returning them evenly. After three or four hits, I ducked low to the ground and tripped it, sending it sprawling into the Typhlosion.

_Three down,_ I thought as I quickly backflipped over to one of the grunts and chopped a nerve connecting his shoulder to his neck, knocking him out. I grabbed him and used him as a human shield from the Magmortar's attacks, his fireproof clothing dissipating each of the fireballs that shot out from its arm-cannon. I drew close, and then threw the man aside as I uppercutted the giant flaming duck pokemon. The impact of my brass knuckles sent it staggering backward as if I had concussed it, and it flattened one of the other grunts. I turned around and saw the last one had drawn a gun on me. I held my hands up, knowing there was no chance of disarming him before he could shoot.

There was a tense moment as he decided whether to just shoot me right then and there, when suddenly a dark blue ball of pure energy flew from his left and staggered him. I looked over and saw Lilly with an unconscious Damrantian beside her, then wasted no time in grabbing the grunt's gun and throwing it away, then pinning him to the ground with my foot.

"Now, why don't you tell me why you were chasing us?" I demanded. He spat at my foot.  
"Why would I tell you anything we have planned?" he shouted.  
I sighed and pulled my trusty Barrett sniper rifle from its case on my back, and held it against his nose with one hand. "Because with the way this is angled, the shot would take most of your face off before it actually killed you; then you and your kneeless pal over there can sit here and scream until either A: backup shows up, or B: you die. And I don't think you want either of those, wouldn't you agree?"

He stared at me speechlessly for a moment, but a quick jab with the barrel woke him from his shock. "We're positioned about a mile north from here. It's just a small compound with about 50 guards keeping an eye out for-" he stopped right there.  
"For what?" I growled as I pressed harder.  
"Logan, please stop!" I heard Lilly say from behind me. I kept going, though.  
"What are you looking for?" I yelled angrily. He shook his head slightly.  
"I can't tell you, or our plan will fail! My life is meaningless when compared to its secrecy!" he whimpered. I growled, my finger slowly tightening around the trigger, and then I stopped when I realized what I was doing. Instead, I flipped the rifle around, and struck the side of his head with the butt, knocking him out.

I turned to Lilly and looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't let them get away with trying to hurt you; that's the one thing that I will kill for, is your safety."  
She nodded understandingly. "I know, but you really shouldn't worry so much; you know I have to watch out for you, too." We kissed for a moment, but I quickly broke and fired a few shots into the trees where I had seen some movement. I kept a steady aim on that spot, but was surprised when I felt something press against my head. I glanced over and saw a figure in a black suit and white mask aiming a crossbow at me. I looked the other way and saw a Gardevoir holding a ball of energy in its hands, keeping Lilly at bay.

"Drop the rifle." The figure commanded in a low voice. I hesitated, then dropped my gun reluctantly.  
He started to speak, but I quickly kicked the crossbow out of his hands, then pulled a machete out of a sheath on my forearm and charged at him. He jumped to the side faster than anyone I had seen, and pulled out a pair of daggers, one red and one blue, both gleaming brightly in the afternoon sun. I swung at him, but he blacked my strike by holding his weapons in an X-shape.  
"I am not the one you should be fighting," he said as if his teeth were gritted, "we both have the same enemy."  
"That's a riot," I said, laughing. "Why were you holding a crossbow to my head? That sure sounds like something an enemy would do." I said as I pressed harder.  
"You shot at me!" he cried, a heavy strain in his voice. "Just trust me; we're going after Team Blaze too. We're even going to the same compound!"

Just then, he quickly swung to the side, throwing me away from him. We stood a few feet apart, weapons aimed at each other, when he did something surprising: he held his hands out and dropped the daggers at his sides.  
"I'm not fighting you anymore. We need to work together." He said as he nodded to the Gardevoir. She dispelled the energy ball, and Lilly ran to my side. She looked at me, and her aura told me what she was thinking.  
_We should trust them,_ she said, _after all, we could use some help._  
I nodded, and then put away the machete. I held out my hand. "Name's Logan Meister. You?"  
He removed his mask, and I saw the face of a young boy, probably about 15 or 16 years old, but his eyes told a different story: they were cold and dark, as if he were an old war veteran. He had messy brown hair that hung low to his shoulders, and a short stubble all over his face, which added to the old man appearance. "Wesley Gilmore." He said as he shook my hand, "and this is Morgana." He said as he pointed to the Gardevoir.

Lilly spoke up. "I'm Lilly, Logan's mate." She said, running up and shaking hands with Wesley. I blushed as he gave me a strange look.  
"I know, I know; I've gotten a lot of crap for being with a pokemon, _please_ don't add to it."  
He shook his head, smiling slightly. "No, that's not it, it's just… it reminds me of a friend I parted ways with a few days ago." He said, as if he were having a flashback. He shook his head suddenly. "Anyways, we had better set up camp." He took off a backpack he had been wearing and began to pitch a tent.

_This kid is good,_ I thought slowly, _being able to match me with all that stuff on his back._ I took Lilly aside and discussed with her.  
"What do you think of them?" I asked slowly.

She smiled. "They have good auras. The boy has a mysterious and tormented one, similar to yours, and the Gardevoir has a sad one, as if she lost someone close to her recently."  
I nodded. "So we can trust them?"  
She looked over at Wesley, who was finishing the tent. "As far as I can tell, we can trust these two to the ends of the earth."  
I looked at him again. It was so strange, as if I were looking at a slightly younger version of me. _No, that's not right,_ I thought suddenly, _He seems… more serious and confident than I am, as if he never had a childhood._ He looked at the tent, nodding appreciatively, and then looked over at us.

"It's all set up," he called to us, "I'll get started on a fire while you two settle in." he retrieved his daggers and walked over to a fallen tree to cut off some of the branches. Lilly and I went inside the ten. It was quite spacious; it looked like you could fit a whole family inside it. I lied down near the edge and started to sleep, grateful for a rest after the chase. As I nodded off, I felt Lilly lay next to me, one arm draped over my shoulders.

When I woke up, I saw it was nighttime outside. I got up slowly, careful not to wake Lilly, and exited the tent. I saw Wesley sitting by a crackling fire, staring at it intently. He was wearing his mask again, so the only part of his face I could see were his dark eyes.  
"Hey," I called softly, "mind if I join?"

He nodded slightly, still focused on the fire. I sat down a few feet away from him and held my hands over the flame, keeping them warm in the cool night air. "So, what's your story? Why are you fighting Team Blaze?" I asked nonchalantly.  
He stayed silent for a few moments, before quietly replying "Because I have to."  
I looked over at him, confused. "What do you mean? Nobody _has_ to do anything. It's all a matter of choice."  
He looked back at me, dark seriousness in his eyes. "I do. No matter what, I have to continue down this path. I don't know where it's leading, but fighting them will get me there." He looked back at the fire. "I've seen things. A vision, warning me of a terrible future that I will help prevent. And with the vision came special gifts: the ability to alter my perception of time, and limited psychometry, a power that lets me discover an objects purpose through touch."

I looked back at the fire. "Know where I can get some powers like that?" I laughed. He laughed too, saying "Not even I know exactly how I got them. I just woke up with them today." As he said this, I heard a rustling from the tent, and when I turned I saw Lilly walking out, stretching and yawning. She walked over and sat next to me. "Where is Morgana?" she asked curiously.  
"She went for a walk; she's had a pretty tough couple of days." There was a hint of sadness when Wesley replied to this. I nodded slowly. "We all have, I bet."

Suddenly Wesley stood up. "We'd better go to bed; we need to get moving right away tomorrow." Saying this, he walked over to the tent and climbed inside. I saw Morgana emerge from between a pair of trees, looked at us shyly, and went inside. I looked at Lilly, who shrugged, and we followed suit. Just before zipping the flap shut, I took one last look at the star-lit sky, wondering what tomorrow would hold for us.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Plot Thickens (POV Wesley)

The next day, we reached the compound deep in the forest. It was a pretty basic looking building: just a large, concrete block about one story tall. It wasn't very impressive, especially since I knew Team Blaze had access to massive aircraft carriers.

"You think they'd be a little more consistent on how they built their command centers," I whispered to the group.  
"What do you mean?" Logan asked, confused.  
"I mean, why do they have a supposedly important base with supposedly important plans sitting out in the middle of the forest, _not hidden at all,_ and it's just a dull concrete box?!"  
_Maybe that's what they want us to think, so we would pass it by,_ Morgana said.  
"Or maybe they want us to think that's what they want us to think, so we think it isn't a trap or something, and then it turns out that it is, indeed, a trap." I heard Lilly say behind us. We all turned and stared at her a moment as she blushed slightly, until I broke the silence. "Can we stop being so analytical and just go in?"

I watched from some trees as Logan and Lilly scouted ahead, tiptoeing around the unconscious guards. _Damn, I am a _good_ shot with this thing,_ I thought, placing my crossbow on my back and jumping from the tree. I whistled quietly into the bushes, and Morgana gracefully emerged and followed me to the door. I grabbed one of the guards as I passed and pressed his hand on a scanner by the door. There was a pneumatic whoosh as the door opened into a long hallway lit with fluorescent lights every few feet. Logan took the lead as we ventured into the building.

"So, random question, you mentioned yesterday that I reminded you of a friend of yours?" Logan asked me softly. I nodded. "Yeah, his name was Steven. I helped him destroy a Team Blaze carrier and rescue his Delphox girlfriend, Vix. They left the other day, hoping to find a place to live a normal life."  
"He must have really loved her, if he was willing to go into the heart of a carrier to get her." Logan said, surprised.  
"Well, he _did_ have supernatural powers and help from a bunch of people, so it wasn't as hard as you would think." I stopped when I saw a door leading to a room full of computers and one solitary scientist. I quickly dispatched him with a concussive dart, and then sat down at one of the terminals. I concentrated on the computer, allowing myself to become familiar with its functions. I traveled to another, already logged on terminal somewhere in the base, and found the administrator password. Ever since my vision, I noticed I had gained not only the strange focusing ability that made time seem to slow around me, but I also found that I could astral project myself, in a way, into electronic systems and imitate the program. When I had the password, I logged on and started looking through the files.

I started looking through a list of documents on the main terminal's hard drive, when I happened across one titled "Project: Eternal Darkness". I double-clicked this and started to read the latest entry.

_Phase One is complete. After Silus went rogue with Yveltal, we feared we would not be able to recover it to continue the project. Fortunately, a young boy with extraordinary powers was able to stop him and destroy his carrier. We have regained control over it, as well as several other legendary Pokemon. I have looked into the boy's power, and learned that he is bound to a demon of great power. I am certain that this is the one we have been looking for. I will keep an eye on him for now, to see if my assumption is correct. Silus was a fool, trying to change humanity into Pokemon; humans don't deserve a chance to better themselves, and Pokemon are imperfect. Demons will rule, just as they did before the Creation, and everything will be as it was._

_END OF LOG_

I stared at the screen for a long time. This changed everything; Silus wasn't working for Team Blaze, but rather, all of his followers were brainwashed into thinking he was. He wasn't even their leader! I noticed there was a folder attached titled "Surveillance". I opened this and gasped. Inside were several pictures of Steven and Vix at what I assumed was their new home.

I turned sharply to Logan, who obviously understood what was going on. "We have to get out of here and warn him." I said quickly, just as the doors to the room slammed shut and locked into place. I heard a siren go off as the balcony above us was filled with Team Blaze grunts, all holding rifles of some kind. One of them stood out among the rest, who was wearing a white lab coat and wire-rimmed glasses. He looked rather young, maybe about 20, with messy brown hair and pale skin.

"Glad you could join us, Wesley and Logan." I widened my eyes as he continued: "Oh, yes, I know who you are. We've been watching you just as much as we have been watching Steven. That log is a few days old, so you can guess I know that Umbra is no longer bound to Steven."  
"So now you can't proceed with this plan." I said defiantly, stepping forward.  
He looked down and chuckled. "Oh, no, we can still get him. It's actually going to be even easier now. You see, when a demon is bound to a human, that person becomes a permanent beacon for demonic energy. If we get him, we can summon Umbra."  
It was Logan's turn to argue now. "Wait a second. Umbra helped Steven kill Silus. What makes you think he will help you?" he shouted. As he said this, I slowly reached into my pocket. Before we had gone into the building, I had placed a receiver pad for my teleporter in the forest. If worse got to worse, I could use it. The only problem was it could only work on three people, and there were 3 of us; one of us was going to stay behind."

"Morgana, stay close to Logan" I whispered softly. She took a step back and looked at me worriedly.

"He helped Steven because he was bound to him. He had no choice but to do as Steven said. Now that he is free, he will do whatever he wishes, and all demons strive for shrouding the earth in darkness.

"There is one problem, though: the pictures we have of Steven are from before he disappeared, so we currently have no idea where he is. But…" he said, motioning for the soldiers to take aim, "you can lead him to us."

I threw the teleporter at Logan's feet, and they were enveloped in a bright light.  
"Don't turn back! Find Steven, warn him, and most of all," I looked up slowly and lowered my voice, "take care of Morgana."

There was a loud zapping sound, and suddenly they were gone. _Showtime,_ I thought as I pulled down my mask and grabbed my daggers. I jumped for the catwalk and vaulted over the railing, figuring the soldiers wouldn't shoot me if I was close to their allies. They pulled out combat knives and advanced on me, so I pulled out my daggers and charged.

It may have seemed like a one-sided battle, but I pulled through. It was down to me and three soldiers when I felt a sharp pain shoot through my spine, causing me to fall over. I saw the scientist standing over me, wearing a metallic gauntlet that sparked with electricity. As my consciousness left me, I heard him say "Prepare him for reformatting. I'll do it myself in the long run; I have a special plan for what he will become."

Then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Comfort in the Past

There was a blinding flash, and suddenly we were back out in the forest. Or, to be more precise, the spot we had set up camp the previous night. I looked down and saw a small circular mat below us, and figured Wes must have left it here in case we needed a quick escape. But why did he stay behind? Could he only transport 3 people at once? Or was it something else?

Lilly and I spent the next few minutes trying to calm Morgana. I was worried she might do something rash if we didn't, like go back and try to save him herself. Eventually, she gave in.  
_Well, what can we do now?_ she asked hopelessly. I looked grimly into the distance.  
"I don't know, but Wesley said we should find Steven, that he might be able to help. That might be a good place to start."

She laughed humorlessly_. We don't even know where Steven is! As much as I agree that it would be good to have him on our side, it's kind of hard to get help from someone who's gone ghost._  
I nodded. "Wes told me that Steven talked about an abandoned house in a town several miles from here where he met Vix. I'm willing to bet he stopped there at some point, and he may even be there still."

This seemed to ease her. _Alright then, let's get going, _ She said, standing up sharply and walking in the direction of the city. I looked at Lilly, who shrugged and followed. I sighed, stood slowly, and ran to catch up.

After about fifteen minutes of complete silence, Morgana finally spoke up.  
_So, what's your story?_ She asked us. I raised an eyebrow.  
"What do you mean?"  
_Like, how did you two meet, and why did you start travelling?_ She added.  
Lilly and I looked at each other and smiled. "It was six years ago…" I started.

I woke up suddenly, hearing the front door slam shut. I saw, glancing over at my clock, that it was eleven at night. _Great,_ I thought miserably, _Dad's home._  
"Logan, GET YOUR WORTHLESS ASS DOWN HERE!" he shouted, obviously drunk. I got up slowly, and glanced at my pillow. Underneath it, I had hidden a personal treasure: a machete I had found out in the woods. It was like finding a sword on a pedestal; it had been stuck in the stump of an old tree, standing straight up for someone like me to find it, with a sheath propped up against it.

_Can I do it?_ I thought nervously. _I've put up with him for long enough, but can I really do it?_ I heard a bottle smashing and heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. I quickly threw on a sweatshirt and stuck the machete in the sleeve, hoping he would be drunk enough to not take notice. I opened the door, and ducked just in time to dodge my father's incoming fist.  
"I've put up with your crap long enough!" he shouted angrily, slurring a little, as he charged at me. I quickly jumped to the side, causing him to slam into the wall and tear a massive hole in the drywall.

I decided I had had enough. I pulled out the machete and held it out defensively as he turned around.  
"What are you going to do, kill me? All you'd be doing is proving my point; that you're a FREAK that doesn't deserve to live in my house!" he said laughing, as he charged again. I waited for the perfect moment, then raised my foot straight in the air, kicking him directly in the chin and sending him reeling backward. I threw the machete behind me, deciding I wanted to have a little fun first, stood over him, and repeatedly punched him in the face and stomach, screaming the whole time. This was twelve years of his abuse, building and concentrating, just now finally being unleashed.

After a few minutes I was sitting on my bed, sobbing, with my head in my hands. My father had fallen unconscious about halfway through my outburst due to the alcohol and heavy trauma. I looked up at him between my fingers and knew that I couldn't go through with it. No matter how much I hated him, I couldn't kill him. There was one thing I could do, though.

I ran away that night. I took very little with me; just an extra change of clothes, a journal and pencil, and the machete. I climbed out the back window, figuring it would be harder for anyone to see me leave if I didn't go out the front. I jumped into the bushes and ran out into the wild.

I walked for days. My house was on the edge of town, right next to a massive forest that went on for what seemed like forever. At night, I would climb a tree and hide out there for the night; in the morning, I would jump down and start walking again. It was hard, but I learned a lot of survival skills.

There was one downside to living on my own in the wild: I was losing my humanity. It had been a few weeks since I had talked to anyone, and I felt like I was losing my mind. I had pretty much given up on returning to civilization. After all, why go back when I was becoming so much more out here? It was no more than a few days later when that thought became certain.

I heard a noise one day while I was walking around, searching for some berries, or anything, really, to eat. When I turned around, I saw a massive Ursaring barreling towards me, giving me only a few seconds to dive out of the way. I quickly climbed up a pillar of rock and sat there. It was easy for me to reach the top, but the bear pokemon wasn't as lucky.  
_Great,_ I thought, _Now I'm stuck._

We sat there, staring at each other as it circled me, neither one looking away, each daring the other to give in. I knew if something didn't happen, I would die, whether from dehydration, lack of food, or passing out and falling off. Each of these ended with the likelihood of getting eaten.

That was not the way I wanted to go out.

After two days, I had almost given up hope, when suddenly, the unexpected happened: a group of Lucario came out from the trees, and saw the Ursaring. They scared it away with some aura attacks, and then watched as I slowly slid down the pillar.

"Who are you? What is a human doing out here in the forest?" the leader asked. He was a bit taller and bulkier than the others, and his left eye was closed and scarred.  
I shrugged. "Because I don't belong with humanity, I guess. I feel like I should be living like a pokemon."  
This made the group laugh, but the leader silenced them with a low growl. "What is your name, human?"  
"Logan." I said confidently.

He walked around me, looking me up and down and murmuring to himself. After about a minute, he walked back to the group and gathered them in a huddle. They whispered amongst themselves, and finally, the leader turned to me.

"It will be hard for a human to survive out here for long. Why not join us?" he asked, smiling.  
I immediately accepted, and they led me back to their camp. As he did, I noticed one of the female Lucario kept eyeing me curiously, like she hadn't seen a human before. I simply smiled shyly when I caught her eye, and she would quickly look away, pretending nothing had happened. She was unique amongst the others, for rather than the normal blue-and-yellow fur, she was red and black.

When we reached the camp, the leader took me aside to ask me a few questions.  
"How long have you been out here, Logan?"  
"About a month." I replied, hardly able to believe it had been that long.  
"What can you do? Do you have any skills?"

I thought about that for a while. "Well, I'm pretty good at tracking and finding berries. Also, I have this," I said, pulling the machete out of its sheath. He nodded slowly.  
"Okay, then you shall help with the foraging. The group is just about to leave."

I was just about to go off, when he stopped me. "The female you saw, with the unusually colored fur?" he asked. I nodded, and he continued, "She is my daughter, Lilly. I noticed she was curious about you. I just want to warn you, do not get any ideas, and do not mistake her curiosity for fancy. I will speak to her about this subject, and, perhaps when you've proven yourself a valuable asset to this clan, we will discuss this again."

I nodded. I felt I should argue, for I felt he was being a little too protective, but I understood, in a way, why he was so careful: humans were cruel, and when it came to new and exotic things, such as unique pokemon, they were even worse. I turned back and headed to where the foraging group was headed.

And thus began my life with the Lucario.

About three years later, the leader spoke with me again. I had proven myself alright; I had helped with foraging, fighting off rival clans, and all sorts of other things. Lilly and I had become pretty good friends, and we fought and worked alongside each other in perfect sync. Her father had finally decided I was ready.

"Do you, Logan, swear to protect the members of this clan with your very life, and give your best in anything you do?" He began. I knew what this was: it was the oath. I was finally becoming a full member of the clan. It was hard to believe how fast it went by.  
"I swear." I responded clearly. I glanced aside and saw Lilly, smiling happily and barely able to stand still. I gave her a stern, but humorous look.

"Then I, as leader of this clan, welcome you. You have proven yourself more than worthy to join us during your stay, and I am proud to have you here." He extended his hand, and I shook it firmly. "Also," he added quietly, "you may talk to my daughter about being mates, if you wish, and if she accepts, you have my blessing." I nodded gratefully, trying my best to maintain a straight face. I could hardly believe it. I finally had a home, and more than that, a family.

That night, I talked to Lilly about becoming mates, and she exploded with happiness, kissing me and hugging me tightly. "Of course I will!" she cried, and I shushed her, worried we might wake someone. She laughed, and all night we danced around, just goofing off and having a good time.

I turned to Morgana, who was smiling. _That was a good story._ She laughed, and I smiled sadly.  
"Yes, but that's where the happiness ends." I said quietly. Lilly bowed her head as I continued. I didn't like to talk about this part, but I knew I needed to keep Morgana's mind off Wesley.

We were awoken the next morning by a scream. I shot up, which in turn woke Lilly. We bolted out of the tent and saw the camp was under attack by people! Sever people armed with flamethrowers and knives. Some of them had what appeared to be riot shields, which rendered the aura attacks useless. I turned and gasped when I saw the leader's tent was in flames.  
"FATHER!" Lilly shouted as she ran to the tent, avoiding the attackers, and I followed close behind.

We burst into the tent, where one of the men had Lilly's father pinned to the ground. He struggled as the man pulled out a pistol and laughed. I pulled out my machete and threw it, stabbing the man in the side. He fell to his knees as Lilly ran and kicked him in the head, knocking him out. Then, she rushed to her father's side.

"Father, we have to get you out of here!" she cried. He smiled and shook his head.  
"There's no point." He said, and I noticed he was bleeding profusely from a wound on his chest. He looked slowly over at me and said, "These men… they called themselves Team Blaze. They want… to use our power… for something evil. I refused, and they attacked. There's... no point fighting… Run, and keep my daughter safe…" he rasped, grabbing my arm," Promise me… you will keep her safe… _That_ is your new duty… to the clan…"

I looked him in the eyes and nodded. "I will uphold this responsibility." He smiled as I said this, and turned back to Lilly. "I love you, my daughter… be well, and stay with this young man… We both know how well he can be trusted…" he said, his vice getting quieter, and his head started to droop. "I will give your love to your mother…" he said, his voice barely a whisper, and fell silent. Lilly was sobbing now, and men were starting to wonder into the tent. Right then, I felt an anger I hadn't felt since the day I attacked my father.

I grabbed the machete from the fallen Team Blaze member and slashed wildly at the newcomers., screaming like a maniac. These men had destroyed my home, and killed the closest thing I had to a father. They ran away in fear, and they were right to; for those few seconds, I forgot I was human.  
"Come on!" I shouted to Lilly, who snapped back to reality, and ran to catch up with me. We burst from the tent and ran away from the destruction that was left of the camp, not looking back.

We his out in a cave that night, and hoped that Team Blaze wouldn't catch us. After that, we vowed to avenge our family and destroy Team Blaze, no matter what.

Morgana had fallen silent. _So that's why you fight,_ she said to no one in particular, _You fight for the memory of your family, Wesley fought for vengeance, and Steven fought for his friends._  
I nodded. "Everyone has a reason to fight, but what's important is we all have the same goal, and we work together to reach it."  
Lilly nodded in agreement. "Yes, and that is what makes us strong."

Morgana smiled. _I feel much better now, but I fear the worst foe Wesley._  
I rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine. He did what he did so at least if he did fall, we could keep going." I looked ahead. "And that's just another reason for us to keep fighting."

I turned to Morgana. "For friends."  
Lilly chimed in, "For family!"  
Morgana looked at us, and I saw something in her eyes that told me that I had finally brightened her spriits: I saw hope.

_For Wesley._ She said confidently.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Reawakening

I woke to find myself strapped to a hospital bed. I looked around the near-empty room, confused. How did I get here? Where am I? _Who _am I? My thoughts were interrupted by a strange whirring sound just off to my right. I looked over and was shocked at my discovery.

Sitting there, where my right arm should have been, was some sort of mechanical device. It looked like an arm, and it was attached to my shoulder as an arm should be, but it was _not_ my arm. I stared at it, confused, and silently begged that this was all a dream, and that I would remember who I was when I woke up. My fears were confirmed when a figure strode into the room.

"Ah, it looks like you are awake. How are you feeling?" he asked cheerfully, like a doctor would. I glared at him.  
"Who are you? Where am I? WHO AM I?!" I shouted angrily, struggling to move, but the harness keeping me on the bed was too strong, and my new arm wasn't responding. He smiled and held up his hands in a calming gesture.

"Now, just calm down a moment. I will answer all your questions in good time. I suppose you want to know how you got here?" he said gently. I thought about this for a moment. It wasn't exactly the question I wanted answered, but it was something. After all, maybe this would lead into more relevant things later.

I looked over to my left and saw a mirror angled perfectly so I could see my face. I had long, dark-brown hair, and descent facial hair covering my jaw and upper lip. My eyes were a dark brown, and were filled with fear and anger.

"Alright. I'm listening."

The man pulled out a small, white remote and clicked a button. The room darkened, and a projector screen lit up the wall in front of me. There were two boys: one of them had long, silver hair, and brown eyes. There was something about his eyes that didn't seem right. Something… dark. The other boy looked a few years older than the first. He had short, brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a serious expression. He looked like he had been through a lot in his life, but was ready for more.

I looked back at the man. "So? Who are these people?" I asked, unimpressed.  
He looked at me sadly. "These two are responsible for your current condition, and more." He clicked the button again, and the screen was filled with a picture of a beautiful Gardevoir. "This is Morgana, your closest friend. They killed her."

Suddenly, my mind was filled with a flash; I saw that Gardevoir, her face filled with terror. "Yes, I think I remember…" I said sadly.

The man went on. "The younger, silver haired boy is named Steven Kurai, and the older one is Logan Meister. They have been working together to take down my organization. I think you will be able to help us."

I looked at him, confused. "Me? What can I do?" I wondered out loud. He looked at me seriously.  
"You possess great combat skill, and we uncovered some strange ability you possess while you were on life support: technopathy, and slight control over your perception of time. That," he said, gesturing to my arm, "is one of the reasons we gave you this, other than your natural arm being damaged beyond repair."

I looked down at my new arm. It was completely smooth, not showing any loose wires or screws, except for a few large ones wherever there were joints. "What does this thing do?" I asked the man.

He smiled. "That is something you will find out soon enough. But first, you must decide: are you ready to do whatever it takes to take your vengeance?"  
I looked up at him with dead seriousness. "Kill the people who killed my closest friend and left me for dead? Nothing would give me more pleasure."

The man nodded and held out his hand as the harness let me go. I sat up and shook it. "I am Doctor Zephras. We weren't able to gain any sort of identification for you, so you have been dubbed Weapon Zero."  
I looked away. "Call me whatever you want. I just want to learn what I can do."

About half an hour later, the doctor led me to an open arena, with several rocks, metal walls, and other obstacles were scattered around. He had given me a suit that he said they found me in: a black jumpsuit with white trimming. The right arm had been torn off, revealing my mechanical replacement arm in its entirety. He also gave me a helmet that covered all of my face, except for a visor that showed my eyes. It was a simple helmet, maybe something a motorist would wear. As I stepped out, I saw the doctor had gone up to a sort of spectator's booth.

"Now, in a few moments, you will be attacked by a group of mercenaries. They are fully aware of your capabilities. All you need to do is defeat them in any way you see fit, and I will take notes of your progress." I saw him reach down as he said this, and suddenly my arm buzzed to life. It felt completely natural, as if I had had it my entire life. I moved it around a little, testing out the fingers. Just as I was getting used to having a right arm, I heard shouting coming from the other side of the arena.

There were five armored men running out into the arena, and when they saw me, they started firing several weapons; shotguns, pistols, assault rifles, et cetera. I dove behind one of the walls and studied my arm. There were three buttons on them without any sort of markings around them. I was about to push one when I heard a mic in my helmet crackle to life. Doctor Zephras's voice filled my ears as he instructed me on how to use the arm.

"The main feature of this arm is increased strength. You can fissure out a good way to use that, I'm sure. The three buttons, starting at the one closest to the wrist, are as follows: the first one activates your Mark V Magnetic Propulsion Cannon, or a "Railgun" by layman's terms. The second one will activate a contact Electromagnetic Pulse system, completely disabling any electronic systems you touch for up to an hour, depending on the charge. The last button you may want to use sparingly, for it activates the self-destruct sequence. Should you find yourself desperate, you can use this to overload the nuclear battery in your arm, and it will detonate after about 20 seconds. Upon pushing that button, you will be able to detach the arm, and then get rid of it as fast as you can. Do you understand?"

I stared for a moment, and then pushed the first button. As the fingers of the hand folded away to reveal a sleek cannon, I smiled and said simply, "Oh yeah I do."

I leapt over the wall and aimed at the first merc I lead eyes on. There was a flash, and suddenly he was slammed against a rock by a metal projectile fired out of my arm at speeds that I guessed exceeded that of sound. The other four looked amongst themselves worriedly, and one of them stepped forward. As he did, I saw he had some sort of rocket launcher mounted on his shoulder. As he took aim and fired, I decided to take advantage of that "chronokinesis" that Doctor Zephras had mentioned. I focused hard, and watched as the rocket and the world around it slowed to a crawl. I ran, jumped and spun around so I was facing the same direction as the rocket. Then, I grabbed it with my metal arm, spun around again, and threw it right at my foes. Three of them were concussed or killed by the blast, but one of them was just far enough away top survive.

The last enemy sprinted over to some sort of jeep-like vehicle and tried to start it up. I ran, pressing the second button as I did, and grabbed the rear bumper just as he took off, the contact between the arm and the vehicle causing a loud, electric sound. The jeep stopped moving altogether, and I heard the driver yell angrily. I walked slowly to the driver's side door, ripped it off its hinges, and tossed it aside. As he tried to undo the seat belt, I pulled the seat out, taking him with it, and threw it to the other side of the arena. He didn't move after that.

I heard slow clapping behind me. I turned and saw Zephras had come down to the arena. "Well done. It seems I was right in guessing you would be perfect for this," He pointed to a ladder on the wall to our left. "That ladder leads to an escape hatch out in the woods. We last saw Logan heading east, no doubt searching for Steven for help. You know what to do."

I nodded and ran off to the ladder without another word. "When you leave," he called from behind, "You won't be able to receive any transmissions from your helmet. You'll be on your own, but I would keep it on so they don't recognize you."

As I climbed the ladder, I could hardly wait to reclaim my vengeance. But, before I killed Steven and Logan, I had to ask them: Who am I, and why did they leave me for dead?


	6. Chapter 6 plus Epilogues

Chapter 6

A New Enemy

It took a few days, but we finally reached the town that Steven was supposed to be hiding out in. The only problem was we had no idea where. Wes had said it was a house on the edge of town, but that didn't narrow it down too much. I'm a pretty good tracker, but I wasn't so sure I'd be able to find someone who made sure that only one person knew where he was, and even they had the slightest clue.

We asked some of the locals if they had seen a boy with silver hair accompanied by a Delphox, but nobody had any idea. Well, I shouldn't say that; it'd be better if I said nobody wanted to give the whereabouts of some kid to a guy in a black jumpsuit wielding a high-powered sniper rifle and accompanied by a Gardevoir and odd-colored Lucario. That's a more honest answer.

"Well, what do we do now?" Lilly asked, looking around. We were standing in the middle of an empty street in the center of town. Not many people wanted to go outside on account of the black-suited rifle-wielder and his pokemon companions, I'd bet.  
"I don't know," I said, sighing, "I guess we'll have to do the door-to-door way of finding him."  
_It would appear so,_ Morgana said quietly, as if distracted.

I looked over at her, concerned. "Something wrong?" I asked.  
She nodded slightly. _I can't quite figure it out, but something feels wrong. Usually I can sense the presence and thoughts of nearby living creatures, but I can see something strange._  
"What do you mean?" Lilly asked, confused.  
_What I mean is,_ she said, sounding slightly scared,_ I can sense the presence of something, but I can't sense its thoughts._  
"I wonder what that could mean." I said, looking off to the side.

I had exactly one second to duck before the shape I saw out of the corner of my eye took my head off. A building off to my left suddenly had an extra, misshapen doorway, and I looked up to see my attacker.

"Why don't you ask him?" Lilly shouted, charging up an aura sphere. She was looking in the direction the projectile had come, and what I would assume was its source was unlike anything I had ever seen.

There was a single figure walking slowly toward us. He wore a jet-black suit and helmet, and I saw his right arm was a metallic color, almost as if it were metal. My thoughts were confirmed as I watched his hand shift into a strange shape. Funny, it almost looked like a…  
"CANNON!" Lilly shouted, knocking me aside as another projectile flew past where I had been standing and obliterated a station wagon.

"Alright, that's it!" I shouted, pulling my sniper from off my back and fired several rounds. To my surprise, he moved his arm at lightning speed to block each and every one. He turned his cannon back into a hand, and to my surprise, spoke. It was a strange voice, like there was a computer speaking for him. All he said with that cold, robotic voice was:

"NOW YOU DIE."

He started running at me. I knew there was no point in standing there trying to hit him, so I ran too.  
"Get yourselves to safety; it looks like it's me he wants!" I shouted hysterically to Morgana and Lilly. They ran off hurriedly as the stranger pursued me.

I led him down the streets, struggling to lose him, but he kept on me rather well. Eventually, I decided it was time to get some sort of barrier between us. I saw a dead end, and knew and open street lay on the other side of the wall. I turned sharply and sped down the narrow passage, my pursuer not too far behind. I jumped up onto a fire escape, ran along the wall for a few feet, and leapt over. I landed on the sidewalk, and rolled a few feet, standing up on the grass and turning around to see if he had given up.

To my disappointment, I saw the wall explode, and saw the figure running out of the dust, apparently using his arm as a ram, and continued to run straight at me. Thinking quickly, I ran at him as well, then at the last possible second, jumped up into the air, and slammed my foot onto the helmet. I landed behind him as he staggered around, and eventually fell to his knees.

I walked over to him, sniper and machete raised defensively. "Who are you? What do you want?" I shouted. He was to disoriented to fight, but apparently not to speak.  
"VENGANCE."

Suddenly, he slammed his metal fist into the ground, creating a massive cloud around us. When the dust settled, he was nowhere to be seen. I looked around, confused, and saw Lilly and Morgana running toward me.

"Are you alright?!" Lilly asked worriedly, wrapping her arms around me. I nodded, still confused. What did he mean by "vengeance"?

Later that day, we discussed the new enemy. "He had a robotic arm," I started, "That he could turn into some kind of cannon. He also seemed to have short bursts where his reflexes picked up, allowing him to block shots from my sniper."

Morgana started to speak. _That helmet he wore, it must have been blocking his thoughts,_ she said quietly, _because I couldn't get anything from him; no thoughts, no memories, nothing._ She looked over at Lilly, who looked equally worried.  
"His suit seemed to contain his aura. I couldn't get any emotions from him."

I looked off into the distance. "Well, he was definitely human. Maybe he's working with Team Blaze? They have all sorts of fancy gadgets, so maybe they gave him that stuff? That would explain why he said he wanted vengeance." I sighed. "Well, we'd better hurry and find Steven before that guy comes back. Let's go."

Epilogue 1: POV Weapon Zero

I pulled off my helmet and coughed heavily. I was completely worn out from the fight with Logan earlier. After I punched the ground to mask my escape, I had retreated to the woods to gather myself and plan some more. I knew he was getting close to Steven; I would just have to wait for Logan to draw him out, then I could take them both out at once.

There was something strange, though: why did he have a Gardevoir with him? There wasn't any way it could be Morgana; that much I knew. _He's taunting me, probably,_ I thought angrily, _trying to distract me by bringing up old memories._

I spoke aloud now, into the empty air: "It won't work. I'm going to avenge her, and myself. I'm going to kill them, and then I'm going to find some answers about my past. I stood up slowly and headed back to town, placing my helmet back on my head and finding comfort in concealment.

Epilogue 2: POV Logan

We decided to start with one particular house that looked promising. It was right on the edge of the woods, so close that the tree line acted as a back fence. I tried the front door, but it was locked, so I busted the lock with the butt of my rifle. We entered the house carefully, and found it was empty.

"Steven?" I called out gently. "Are you here?"

My call was answered by a sudden bump coming from somewhere in one of the other rooms. A masked figure ran out into the hallway and studied us for a moment. I raised my rifle defensively, but the figure simply waved his hand in the air, and suddenly everything went black.

I woke up some time later, and found I was chained to a chair in a darkened room. By the smell, it must have been some kind of basement. A single light was hanging from the ceiling, flickering every now and then. It lit up the room just enough for me to see Lilly and Morgana chained to chairs just as I was, and opposite me I saw what appeared to be the masked figure I had seen earlier. I struggled with the chains, but the figure spoke with a layered voice, like he was possessed.

"Don't bother. Those chains cannot be broken by normal means." He said slowly.  
I looked up at him and gritted my teeth angrily. "Who are you? What do you want?" I shouted.

The figure stared at me for a moment, probably thinking of a response. After a few seconds of tense silence, he stepped forward. He wore a black skull mask and black robes. He looked me in the eyes and took off the robe, revealing a grey sweatshirt and blue jeans. As it fell to the floor, it swirled into smoke and vanished. He brought his hand up to his mask and took it off, and as he did, it too vanished in a swirl of smoke. Now, I saw the face of a young boy, maybe a little older than Wes, with shoulder length silver hair and dark brown eyes.

"I'm Steven Kurai. I want to know why you were looking for me."


End file.
